By Varghese Alengaden

Indore, March 26, 2020: Covid 19, which started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has turned into an unprecedented pandemic which has hit 196 countries killing more than 20,000 and infecting 450,000 people. Without visa this deadly virus has entered small and big countries killing hundreds everywhere. Sophisticated powerful military of the world could not stop Covid 19.

Faced with death and devastation, country after country has introduced strict lockdown and asked people to stay at home. In India Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a national curfew to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Educational institutions, hotels, sports events and public meetings were closed. Churches, temples and all worship places were closed. Buses, cars and airlines were stopped. Airports and railway stations were shut. The government took these hard actions to stop the virus from spreading to the whole country.

The government did not envisage the problems the common people would face, especially the poor people who live by their daily labour . A large majority of these daily workers are homeless living on footpaths in the cities. Thousands of them are migrants who have come to these distant cities from interior villages.

At many as 300 million of India’s 1.37 billion people are homeless daily wagers. Did Prime Minister Modi and his expert team ever think of the plight of these people and their children when they ordered nationwide curfew overnight? The prime minster and politicians repeated ask people to stay at home. Where will the homeless lockdown for 21 days? Who will provide them food for all these days without working ?

The politicians and the bureaucrats who sit in their palatial offices have forgotten or abandoned Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman which should guide in all decision making.

“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melting away”

Gandhi always was concerned about the last and the least person in all his decision. Do the Congress party leaders who boast of following Gandhi legacy, Modi and other leaders who speak eloquently about Gandhi, follow his vision and teachings when they make decisions? Leaders and governments they run do not bother the last and the least person in the country.

They make laws for satisfying those sections of society who would vote for them. They make decisions to strengthen their party and the companies which finance them. Today the middle class and the rich who benefit from the decisions of the government shower praises on the government in power.

The same has happened in the decision of nationwide lockdown to prevent the attack of Covid 19. Who bothers about the 300 million who are deprived of their food and shelter? Who bothers about the millions who walk days and nights from big cities to their villages? How many of them will survive the hunger and sickness? Do those who declared curfew see how the police beat up these poor suffering from hunger and thirst?

Countries like France, Germany and other developed countries also have imposed lockdown. People there do not suffer like the poor in India. They do not starve. They have money to collect food and house to stay. The governments in those countries can afford to be strict about lockdown.

Governing a large and diverse country like India, especially managing a national disaster like Covid 19 is not the same as winning elections with oratorical skills Those who shout abuses at the opposition leaders and calling the crowd for violence against those who belong to other faith will not be able to do anything constructive.

The government should have taken into confidence the leaders of other parties who have experience and expertise in crisis management to handle this unprecedented pandemic. When the nation faces such serious national disaster the prime minister should rise above all ego and party politics and get the maximum ideas and collaboration from all sections. He should have taken industrialists, experienced social workers and NGOs with credibility to handle the national crisis.

It is a time for experimenting NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, rather than a party government with people with little experience of managing a national disaster like this. This is time for zero tolerance of ego, prejudice, politics and personal profit. Protection of life of every citizen especially the least and the last person should be the first priority.

It is never late. The deadline of lockdown or national curfew is still far. Instead of waiting for the problems and sufferings to settle by default, the prime minister should call for a wider consultation for crisis management. Invite the experienced ministers, bureaucrats, retired military and police officers, experienced social workers with grassroots level experience, experts from other fields, chief ministers and former chief minsters who are still active from all parties and walks of life.

Include them in decision making and delegate them specific and targeted responsibilities. Protecting life and dignity of every person, THE LAST MAN living in this country should be the only priority of all who are part of this crisis management team. This experiment will defeat and chase away more deadly viruses like hatred, revenge, prejudice and exclusive agenda which threaten the fraternity among the people of the country.

Managing the crisis of Covid 19 will strengthen the universal family spirit of India , the vasudaiva kudumbakam. This is the way to return to Mahatma Gandhi in whom we can find solutions for all the problems we face today. Will Prime Minster Modi and his team who struggle to stop the diabolic pandemic Covid 19 have the wisdom to abandon their centralized approach and welcome the collaborative approach? Why not experiment?

(Father Varghese Alengaden is the founder director of the Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement.)